Pratik Bijlani –
The Central Government has approved the appointment of IAS officer Prashant Jeevan Patil as Deputy Director General at the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS), Mumbai, under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, strengthening the administrative leadership of India’s maritime regulator.
Patil, a Telangana-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer, has been appointed at the Director level under the Central Staffing Scheme. According to the appointment order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), he will serve as Deputy Director General for a period of five years from the date of assuming charge, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. The Telangana Government has also been requested to relieve him at the earliest to enable him to take up his new responsibilities.
The appointment comes at an important phase for India’s maritime administration, as the country pursues an ambitious transformation of its shipping sector under Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. The Directorate General of Shipping continues to play a central role in implementing maritime regulations, strengthening shipping safety, supporting seafarer welfare and training, overseeing ship registration and certification, and ensuring India’s compliance with international maritime conventions.
Headquartered in Mumbai, the Directorate is also increasingly involved in India’s wider maritime modernisation agenda, including digitalisation, regulatory reforms and measures aimed at improving the competitiveness and efficiency of the country’s shipping ecosystem.
Patil brings extensive administrative experience from his service with the Telangana Government and will now contribute to the Directorate’s expanding responsibilities as India’s maritime sector enters a period of accelerated growth and regulatory transformation.
His five-year appointment adds further administrative capacity to the DGS at a time when India is seeking to expand its merchant fleet, strengthen its position as a major global supplier of seafarers and develop domestic capabilities across shipbuilding, ship recycling and coastal shipping.
With India’s maritime ambitions increasingly linked to economic growth, global trade and employment generation, Patil’s appointment is expected to support the Directorate’s ongoing efforts towards building a modern, efficient and internationally competitive maritime administration.
Marex Media